Finding export market opportunities has become a key focus for many nations seeking to boost their economies in the wake of a global financial downturn that has lingered on for more than a decade now.
However, this doesn’t seem to be the case for Kenyan authorities who are delaying to capitalise on an offer to ship mangoes to the Pakistani market.
Exports of mangoes to Pakistan have been delayed by Nairobi’s slow pace of approving a memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed upon by the two countries.
Pakistan High Commissioner to Kenya Saqlain Syedah has said her country is ready to absorb Kenya’s mangoes throughout the year—an offer that would come in handy for farmers who have been struggling with restrictions in various overseas markets such as Europe.
Kenya and Pakistan have two MoUs on plant protection that started in 2016 on mango and citrus exports to the Asian country. The pacts were finalised and are ready for signing if Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture is in concurrence with it.
Kenyan authorities should seize the opportunity and clear the way for local farmers to export mangoes to Pakistan.